THE “ghostly outlines” of a woman who died around 1400 years ago have been discovered in the Highlands. Archaeologists excavating near Muir of Ord on the Black Isle found the partially preserved Pictish remains on the final day of a three-week project.

Dark patches revealed the stains of a skeleton that has been broken down in acidic soil.

Steve Birch, archaeological supervisor at the site, said: “I found some blackened patches in the ground and decided to trowel back at that level. To my astonishment, the ghostly outlines of a skeleton started to appear.

“I was able to identify the spinal column with individual vertebrae and then I uncovered the upper arms and shoulders, all of which were just black stains in the ground. Eventually almost the whole outline of the skeleton could be seen, surrounded by the faint shadow of a coffin. I have been an archaeologist for a long time and have made some important discoveries but this was a real eureka moment for me.”

Archaeologists said it may be difficult to assign a sex to the skeleton but it is thought to be female.

The excavation is at one of the largest Pictish cemeteries in Scotland, in the ancient confederation’s province of Fortriu.

Gordon Noble, adviser on the excavation, said: “Very few of these cemeteries have been excavated so projects like us have much to tell us about the ways in which the Picts buried their dead.”